


Masks

by elrond50



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Friendship, Healing, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, season 3b
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-12
Updated: 2014-03-12
Packaged: 2018-01-15 12:47:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,124
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1305388
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/elrond50/pseuds/elrond50
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Derek helps Stiles start to recover by opening up.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Masks

**Author's Note:**

> Sometimes looking in the mirror is the hardest thing to do.

It had been a week since they finally freed Stiles from being possessed. Everyone had scars from the aftermath, but Stiles’ scars ran deeper than all of the pack. Derek looked in the mirror and was all too familiar with the guilt Stiles was feeling. He talked to the Sheriff every day, but Stiles was still barely hanging in there after his ordeal.

Derek opened a trunk and pulled out a small bag. A quick glance confirmed the contents were still there. He was a survivor and Derek knew Stiles needed someone to help him. Laura saved them both after the family perished and Derek knew Stiles needed a ‘Laura’ now.

It was bright and sunny as Derek made his way to the Stilinski house. Seeing the Sheriff’s car in the driveway made this easier in many ways. Derek walked up the door and knocked.

“Derek,” the sheriff’s face showed surprise. “What can I do for you?”

“I’m here to see Stiles.” Derek could see the half-formed objections beginning. “I can help him, but he needs to stop hiding.”

A sigh escaped from the older man’s mouth. “I need to get to the office for a few hours anyway. Can you watch over him?”

Derek nodded and made his way to the teen’s room. Knocking, he listened to the muffled ‘go away’ and decided to force a few issues. “I’m not leaving.”

Stiles came out of his cocoon of blankets and frowned. “How did you get here?”

“Drove and your father let me in.” Derek walked over and pulled the blankets off Stiles leaving the teen floundering in just his sleep pants and t-shirt.

“Rude.”

“Time to face the world. You’ve wallowed for a week. Scott and Lydia have been turned away from seeing you, but not anymore. We are going to talk.” Derek moved in front of Stiles and stayed there.

The boy turned away and muttered. “I almost killed all of you. I can’t look at any of you and not see…”

Derek sat down in Stiles’ line of sight. “I know. I know more than any of them do how that feels.” He put a hand on Stiles’ shoulder and gave it a light squeeze. “I’ve been where you are and I don’t want you going down the roads I’ve been.”

“You can’t save me,” Stiles whispered. “I’m tainted and forsaken now.”

“NO! You were a prisoner and your body not your own. It was a violation of everything you are, Stiles Stilinski.” Derek looked him in the eye. “Come, we are going to sit in the sunshine and banish the shadows.”

After making their way outside, Derek gently pushed Stiles into one of the chairs while he went back and came out with two bowls of water. He opened the bag he’d been carrying earlier and laid out all the items.

“What is all this?”

Derek motioned to them. “For the longest time I could not look at myself in the mirror. I was always told how handsome I was or attractive, but all I saw after the fire was a murderer. After coming back, with Laura dying, Erica, Boyd, and saving Cora I learned to hide behind masks.

“I know you think we don’t trust you and nothing could be further from the truth.” Derek pointed to the laid out items. “You are going to help me while I help you.” He picked up and item and opened it. “This is a straight razor that belonged to my father’s father. I hide behind the beard because it makes me feel older and I can look in a mirror and be okay. If I can face my past so can you.”

Derek put the razor in Sties’ hand.

Stiles looked down and swallowed. He watched as Derek got out some shaving cream and built up a nice foam. “Derek…you’ll be exposing your throat…”

“I _trust_ you! I’ll heal from any small nicks but we both need this.” Derek started lathering his beard and sat back down. “Are you ready?”

“I’ve never done this before. I can barely shave!” Stiles met Derek’s gaze and hung his head. Slowly he extended his shaking hands and sighed. “How can you trust me?”

“Because I know you.” He reached out and steadied Stiles’ hand and brought the razor to his cheek. “We can find each other together.”

Slowly Stiles began to shave off Derek’s beard. He wiped away the foam and slowly removed the hair that made the man look older. He swallowed when he started on Derek’s neck, but kept his hands steady and smoothly shaved his friend.

He reached back and brought the towel to wipe any excess away. “Wow, I’d forgotten how you looked without the facial hair.”

Derek nodded at Stiles and gently pushed him back inside. They went to the downstairs bathroom. Derek closed his eyes before looking at the mirror. “All I see when I see myself like this is the kid who got his family killed.”

“NO!” Stiles turned to face Derek directly, not his reflection.  “Kate did that! You were…you were betrayed. She used you, lied to you, deceived you, but it wasn’t you!”

“Exactly, I know that now. I can learn to look into the mirror and see the young man my mother loved so much. But did you hear what you said. YOU didn’t do those things. You, Stiles Stilinski, are the victim. I still have nightmares about Boyd’s blood on my hands. But I was used as a weapon. I did not kill him and you didn’t kill those people.” Derek pulled Stiles into a crushing hug as the teen broke down crying. “You will be okay.”

“It hurts so much!” Stiles buried his face into Derek’s neck. “It hurts that all I want to do is crawl in a hole and never come out.”

“Been there,” Derek whispered. “But I won’t let you. I had only Laura. You have your Dad, Scott, Lydia, and Melissa. Once you start going down into that hole it might never stop, Stiles.” He tightened his hug. “Trust me, Stiles, like I trusted you.”

“Okay.” Stiles nodded and wiped his nose on Derek’s shirt. “Sorry.”

“No you aren’t” Derek gave him a faint grin. “Going to have to get used to shaving every day.”

Stiles looked at Derek for a long moment. “Not fair that you can rock a beard or look like a baby faced underwear model. You look so much younger.”

“Life aged me, but letting go also means lightening up. We both have a long way to go, but I promise to get you through this.”

“I’ll hold you to that.” Stiles inhaled as he hugged Derek again. “Don’t let go.”

“Never.”


End file.
